Foreshadowed future
by Blakrana
Summary: This is set after the defeat of Polidori upon the Vambery. There will be non-canon characters and maybe a few canon ones. This is really just my idea of what could happen after Lunar Knights ends, based on the characters I've made.
1. How to kill a Ghoul and look natural

I had this crawl into my head while kicking Polidori off of the Vambery the other day. I hope to try to add more to it after I finish off some exams...joy...  
**_

* * *

_**_**Prologue**_

_Dumas, the new ruler of the planet, has found an intriguing pair of siblings, after slaying their parents. The pair, a boy and a girl, tremble before the vampire lord, as he reaches towards them….taking the girl under his arm, he orders the boy to be taken to Baron Stoker to experiment upon…_

_Surviving many years of torturous experimentation, the boy is sealed in stasis while the Baron works on other projects. When the Baron is defeated and the Vambery raided by a swordsman and gunslinger, the damage dealt to the Vambery systems deactivates the stasis. Free at last, the boy leaves, with only two things on his mind…_

**Chapter 1-How to kill a Ghoul and look natural**

The night deep and cold, a Ghoul slowly marched around its little home. It had had a good snack on some birds, had managed to find some shiny metallic objects and was making its way to a nice, damp spot that often held some small animals. The Ghoul was as happy as soulless, mindless, instinctive corpses can get. If Ghouls could get happy anyway. Thus, it marched on, making strange little noises as it wandered.

Then there was a rustling. A big rustling. Bigger than a bird rustling. The Ghoul stopped, beginning to turn, hoping it may have found something else to eat, like a cat or even a small dog. Unless it was a Hound. They didn't like being almost eaten. Unfortunately, all it saw was a large plastic bag. Turning again to go to its damp spot, it carried on, unaware that it was decidedly quieter, as the rustling of the Crows had stopped.

Finally at its damp spot, the Ghoul paused to check whether there was anything to eat, but all it found was some ants, and they were too small to eat. Disappointed, it turned to march back and go put its shiny metal things away. But it didn't get that far. It was frozen, staring at the amber shiny-metal thing pointed at its head. It couldn't eat this, and it couldn't take it for its collection either. Its eyes moving along the metal, it saw a pair of deep purple orbs. The orbs looked back.

The Ghoul was terrified. The orbs were hovering in the shadows, with no sign of motion. They were entirely unnatural. Well, neither was the Ghoul, but they held the Ghouls eyes like the abyss itself, and they wouldn't let go. It couldn't move away, and the amber metal was stopping it moving to try and bite at them. But, after a brief spell, the Ghoul began to unfreeze, and, with its resolve set, it began to lunge at the orbs. It didn't even have time to register the burning light and searing pain that passed through its body, turning it into a cloud of dust that eroded before it hit the ground. In the space of 3 seconds, the Ghoul may as well of never been.

Smoking around the front, the amber gun was put into a holster, and a young boy stepped from the shadows, looking at where the Ghoul had been a moment ago. Picking up the coins the Ghoul seemed to have collected, he glanced into the small puddle of water that lay under his feet, gazing at his reflection.

His eyes were a deep, amethyst purple, and his hair was long and black, tied in a ponytail behind his head. His skin was pale, and his face had a distant expression, as if what had just happened was unimportant. Tall and lithe, he had dark grey jacket over a thin orange shirt, and a pair of belted dark grey jeans. Attached to the belt were two pairs of guns; a pair of amber-metal guns, and a pair of obsidian-metal guns, each in its own holster. Placing the Soll coins in a small wallet, the boy left, leaving the wind to fill in the space he left in the air. He had a mission to perform, and to do that, he needed information. And as the Sun began to rise over the horizon, he smiled. There were some Vampires who he needed to settle the score with. The idea of revenge had never felt better.

By the time the Sun had risen, all that was left to show of the nights events was a single piece of rotten cloth, lying morosely in a puddle.

* * *

Now, I apologise for repeating 'shiny metal thing' a lot, but, well, Ghouls are probably really stupid and suffer from magpie syndrome (why else do they drop Soll?), and i doubt they think in complex sentences.  
Reviews welcomed :)


	2. A trip down memory lane

Ok, this is sooner than I expected, but, well, hope people don't mind it earlier.  
Also, this is my first attempt at a flashback, so, bear with me.  
Hope people enjoy it.

**

* * *

**

**A trip down memory lane**

The morning that graced The Ring of Destiny was bright, warm, and now part of the daily routine. Ever since the paraSOL had been destroyed, the people of Old Culiacan had managed to settle comfortably into a normal diurnal pattern. The Sun gave the streets a warm, golden colour and the sounds of humans, Vulpids and the occasional Canid gave a sense of freedom that hadn't been experienced in a very long time. Not a single soul had any fears or concerns. The Sun was theirs again, and all the conflicts of the past were now just memories.

Wandering between the streets, a young boy made his way to The Ring of Destiny. After his night in 13th Street, he resolved to find out what he could from the denizens of this bustling town. Allegedly, the Info Broker was the person to see for information about near enough anything. So long as you had something to trade. Smirking slightly, he pushed open the door and sat in a corner at the back of the room. Allegedly, if he waited, there'd be a strange girl with allegedly fake rabbit-ears, yet suspicion to whether they were actually real had been mentioned. In fact, he'd left the two gossips that had given him the information to a heated debate about it. People got piqued over such insignificant details. Sighing, he ordered a drink and small meal for his breakfast, and began to wait.

About half an hour after arriving, the door opened, and a girl in a large orange jacket with a pair of large glasses and, most notable of all, a pair of rabbit-ears poking through the top of her hood came in. After watching her order a drink and sit down not too far from his own seat, the boy finished his meal and went over to the girl's table. Looking up sleepily, she watched him as he sat down.

"Can I help you? It's early in the morning kid…"

"If you're the Info Broker I've been told to see for near enough anything, then yes. And in my book, the morning is just night with more light in it. Now, I need information, and I'm really hoping you know something about what I'm after." Shifting his weight to sit more comfortably, he gazed almost lazily at the Info Broker.

"That depends. You need to tell me a few things first, as part of the way I earn my keep; sorry, but, that's the deal. Now, if your going to be using my services frequently, I'm going to need your name. Makes conversation easier than calling you 'kid'." taking a sip of her drink, she waited for a response. The boy, after closing his eyes for a moment, replied. "I'm…Gideon. My name's Gideon. Now, can we get to business? I need to find Baron Stoker. I have a score to settle. Can you tell me where he is?" Gideon's voice had gotten louder steadily until everyone was looking at the table before turning away again. Pausing slightly, the boy asked again quietly. "So. Can you help me?"

The Info Broker stared at the boy, before putting down her drink and replying. "Stoker is dead, erm, Gideon. He was beaten by The Dark Swordsman and a young Guild Gunslinger not too long ago. Where have you been in the last two months? Everyone in the world knows this. Heck, even the Duke himself was defeated by them. Where on Earth could you have been not to know that?" The Info Broker was about to laugh when she saw Gideon's face, which had frozen. _'Oh dear. I really hope that wasn't too much…'_ she thought to herself. Gideon had put his hand to his forehead, looking like all his life was worthless.

"Damn! I was looking forward to getting my revenge…" Gideon mumbled to himself, almost certain he couldn't be heard even this close. His hopes were dashed though, when the Info Broker tilted her head to the side and readjusted her glasses with a slight smile. "I suppose you heard me then…" he finished snappily.

"I'm afraid so. Just what did you and Stoker have between you? I mean, not many people have a personal vendetta, or don't know all the top Vampires have been defeated. " the Info Broker could hardly hide her excitement at the prospect of some new information. Lowering her smile a little, she waited for the boy's reply.

"Stoker had made the last nine years of my life an unbearable experience. I can tell you now, that the rumours of just what the Vambery is, or was, like, do not do it justice. It is a place far worse than the Land of the Dead. Far worse…" his voice shook slightly before continuing. "I was eight when I was captured by Earl Dumas and sent to Stoker. After two hours, I was Stoker's new victim. I still can't believe I survived. I must be the only one to survive that long…" trailing off, Gideon began rolling a coin. The Info Broker stopped smiling.

"I don't suppose you could…tell me just exactly what you've been through? I mean, I could help you with what I know of current affairs. Unless it's too much…" she asked softly, breaking Gideon out of his trance. He looked up slowly at her. Leaning back slightly, Gideon folded his arms and whispered back;

"Depends how long you have to wait. It might take a while to tell you everything. But I want something in return. A name, a place, anything that could help me after I've given my story. If you can wait that is," Gideon finished, looking decidedly paler, yet resolute all the same. The Info Broker paused, and, after finishing her drink at last, nodded.

"Very well. Nine years ago…" and, speaking clearly, Gideon began his story.

**

* * *

**

Nine years Ago

"RUN! DON'T JUST STAND THERE RUN!THESE ARE UNDEAD! TAKE YOUR SISTER AND RUN!"

"But…"

"JUST RUN! WE'LL BE FINE! NOW GO!"

Running in the night and the rain, the house that Gideon had grown up in had become a place of torment and death, with fires turning the sky a bloody red, and tinting the moon the same colour. An assortment of Ghouls, Skeleton Fencers and Hounds were busily tearing anyone too slow to escape to shreds. Leading them was none other than Earl Dumas himself, and he was in full battle armour. He struck fear with his name alone, and in this situation, he was beyond terrifying. There were many that had fallen to his blades, and behind him were all manner of dead people, being slowly changed by the Dark Matter in their wounds. Running with his sister's hand in his, Gideon ran, not daring to look back.

Then, they heard a pair of screams, one male and the other female.

They both stopped as if they had become stone.

"MOTHER! FATHER!" the young Gideon cried out, turning to face his burning home, dreading to let himself think as to what was happening to his parent's now.

"We have to keep going! We can't help them! Come on Gideon! Please! For them!"

"But we have to help them!" choking on his tears, Gideon began to run back, when his little sister grabbed his arm and pulled him back, causing him to fall to the floor.

"We can't help them! If we go back, they may as well of just let the vampire take us away! And they would still be dead! We have to run, for Mama and Papa! Come _on_!" then, looking up after helping her brother up, she froze. Looking up, Gideon knew why she was so scared. In the sky above them, looking down on them with blood lining his arm blades and a dark smile, was Dumas himself.

With the moonlight and the flames behind him, he was a pure terror given form. The shadow that fell over the children threw them even deeper into fear of what was to come. They could only watch as the vampire alighted upon the ground before them, holding each other's hands tighter than they ever thought they could.

"Why are you so scared? I won't hurt you. You can come with me, and be safe. The monsters won't hurt you," honeying his words, Dumas began to move to the children, but they stepped back at each step he took, until they had their backs against the house behind them. They knew it was a lie. Dumas was Death and would not protect them, wouldn't spare them. Death didn't give life. And as the terror welled up to such a point as it was beyond words, Gideon took up a stone and threw it at the vampire, but Dumas merely batted it away with his hand, before bursting into laughter.

"Mwah Hahaha! How much do you think that could have hurt me? I have killed countless men and women, from gunslingers in the Guild to mere commoners. No _pebble_ can harm me!" laughing, Dumas stood right before the children, staring at them as intently as predator and prey. Taking Gideon in his hand, he lifted him off the floor. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? You'll live longer. Isn't that what your parent's wanted? Or would you rather die now?" laughing once more, Dumas let him drop to the floor. As he said this, Ghouls had appeared by Dumas' side. Taking Gideon by the arms, they made it so he couldn't escape. "Take him to Stoker," and, smiling maliciously at Gideon, he turned, and, in a single strike, slew Gideon's sister before she had a chance to cry out, leaving her blood to stain the wall and the floor where she had been standing, before placing her under his arm.

"Rita! RITA!"

And, after screaming till his throat was hoarse, Gideon wept while he was dragged away.

**Two months ago**

Stoker was rather happy today. The new victims had arrived, and the boy Dumas had sent several years ago had managed to survive rather splendidly. He'd stopped screaming after each experiment, hadn't died or turned into a Ghoul yet, and had undergone some rather unexpected changes after all the experiments.

Initially, the boy had red hair and silver-blue eyes, which were unusual. Now, after repeated exposure to various levels of Dark Matter, he should have become a rather powerful Chimera, but, he had only had his hair turn jet black and his eyes deep purple, much to Stoker's fascination; it meant more experimentation could be performed. Another experiment, an attempt to see what a wounded individual could do when a Hound attacked them, just left him 49 rather messy corpses, and only the young boy surviving, actually fighting back against the Hound with his bare hands, despite the injuries. Over the years he had found very few that survived his experimentation, and he was constantly trying to turn this boy into a Chimera or maybe a new breed of Undead, but, after all these years, all that had happened was the changes to the boys hair and eye colour, as well as his pain barrier being far higher than normal along with his endurance. Stoker was determined to find out why he had survived this long.

But, today, he had to leave to help the Duke with his current Vampire Hunter problem, as both Rymer and the Poes had been slain. So, for as long as it took, the boy would be set in stasis. In fact, if he survived the process and was alive when he came back, then, well, it worked and he could continue his testing. With a broad grin, he activated the stasis while the boy pounded on the glass, before finally collapsing against the wall. Leaving a few of his technological experiments on the table, mostly some Dark Gun parts and an ancient Solar Gun that he couldn't even experiment with, Stoker left for Santa Cecilia station.

**

* * *

**

**Present day**

"….and that's how I ended up here. I don't know why the stasis ended, but, either way I escaped the Vambery. I will not go back there again." taking a deep breath, Gideon finished, looking out of the window, watching the people in the street. The Info Broker sat silently for a moment, and, coughing lightly, called Gideon's attention to her.

"I'm sorry about your family. Is that why you wanted to find Stoker? What about Dumas? He did kill them you know."

"I was going to kill him afterwards, if you must know. But, seeing as he has already been defeated, then I doubt I can get my revenge," Gideon waspishly replied, before continuing. "Just what am I to do with my life now? What point to live do I have now? All that kept me going was the thought of revenge. Now…now I have nothing."

"But your alive. Your family would be proud you survived this long! You don't need to try and avenge them!"

Laughing, Gideon looked back, with a look of disbelief on his face. "You really think it's that easy? I want revenge. That's all I want. I've been killing Ghouls since I left the Vambery, but it's not enough. I need to back what I lost. Now, I guess I was wrong about you being able to help me." Standing up, Gideon turned to leave, before the Info Broker called him back.

"Wait!"

"Save it. I'm going to find my own answers. Here," and, with his back turned, he flipped the coin he had been toying with back on the table. "Your payment." Fastening his jacket, Gideon left, leaving the Info Broker to sit silently, looking at the 100Soll he'd left on the table.

* * *

Review replies-

MegMegz: Thanks, it means I got it right if you found the Ghoul funny :)

Heliotropium: Thanks. I really hope to keep up the standard. (And glad you also liked the Ghoul characterisation. Funny things, Ghouls...)


	3. An Unexpected encounter

I hope this follows on well from Chapter 2, and I apologise for the heavy dialogue.  
Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

An Unexpected encounter

Five days. It had been five days since Gideon had met the Info Broker, and since then, he had been walking along the deserted streets and roads close to New Culiacan's boundary wall. As their was a large number of Undead and various other creatures, such as Hounds and Crows, he'd taken out his anger by shooting everything that was stupid enough to try and attack him. So far, he'd killed roughly ten Ghouls every hour. Still, it just wasn't enough. Nothing could give him his revenge. Not anymore. Smiling bitterly, he kept walking down the road, his jacket billowing behind him in the wind, his four guns easily visible. He'd resolved to just keep walking until he couldn't anymore. It was all he could do now.

Stopping at a crossroads, Gideon stopped, looking at the houses either side. Frowning, he pulled out one of the amber guns, and held it in his left hand firmly. Anything could happen if you weren't prepared. Gideon silently thanked the fact Stoker had left a pile of ancient Solar Guns and Dark Guns near the stasis chamber he was in, along with the necessary tools to take them apart.

Moving forward quietly, he kept the gun steady as he moved forward. After about five steps, he was rewarded with a group of Skeletons appearing out of the roads, totalling eight. Pulling out the other amber Solar Gun, Gideon settled into a ready stance, and waited for the first movement. The pair to his left began marching forward first, and were the first to have a barrage of Solar bullets in their skulls, swiftly turning them into a pile of bone chippings. Diving to the road where they had been, Gideon rolled until he had was in a crouching position, and then opened fire on the remaining Skeletons. After about five minutes, all that was left was a pile of bone chippings. Standing up again, Gideon continued down the road, fingers ready on the triggers.

"_Stoker's no more. That's just fine. But if I could have been the one to finish his life…I could be just that little more happy with my own life. Heck, I would have been happy if I could of just punched Dumas' fangs out. But even he's dead. And what do I have to live for now? All that kept me going was the idea of revenge. Now? Now I've got nothing…" _Gideon had been thinking in circles like this ever since he had left The Ring of Destiny. So he just walked straight out of the pub, and kept walking straight, ending up here, on the edge of the New Culiacan. Ever since he'd reached these streets, he'd felt strange. Almost as if he knew the roads he was walking down. He shook his head. There was no way he had been here. Most of his life had been spent in the Baron's clutches after that fateful night. Turning to the left of a pile of rubble blocking the road, he pressed forward.

Maybe he'd find something worthwhile after a few more days out here. He was sure the Guild wouldn't mind a hand clearing out some monsters, but, considering he had a pair of Dark guns, he doubted he'd be seen as a friend. "Like it matters. We're not part of the Guild, and not likely to see anyone in a very long time now. So I may as well just walk and walk and walk," muttering darkly to himself, Gideon cast a quick look at the rubble, in case anything was lurking in it, but, as nothing appeared, he continued, amusing himself by realising he had no food with him, and he'd given his last Soll to the Info Broker for the information she gave him. Laughing to himself as he realised that he could quite possibly starve out here, being over ten days away from Old Culiacan, even then being completely out of money. For some reason, the Ghouls out here didn't seem to collect Soll. _"Then again, if there's no one to drop change, then they can't pick it up can they? Could explain why they don't even drop junk either," musing to himself, he decided to find somewhere to rest for the night. Gideon preferred to travel in the day, as less Undead were active then. _

About an hour after the sun had set, Gideon had found a house which appeared remarkably intact, considering the location. All the other houses bore signs of being burnt in places, many being just charred timbers, although it looked like they had been like this for years. Frowning slightly, Gideon walked into the house, keeping his eyes open with one of his guns in front of him. Something was very wrong here. Abandoned houses should be packed with Ghouls and Chloroformin', yet there were none. Moving towards the stairs, he went to the top floor, keeping his eye on the floor and walls.

Halfway up the stairs, he stopped and flattened himself against the wall, peering around the corner. He wasn't sure, but he was sure he could almost hear something pacing nearby. Looking past the closely, there was a window, and a tall silhouette was moving back and forth in front of it. Straining his eyes, Gideon could see another silhouette just a little to the left, next to the door, hovering halfway between the floor and the ceiling. Looking at the floor, there was no way he could approach with out making a sound. And if he left now, well, his curiosity might not kill him, but anything lurking outside resistant to Solar or Dark Guns would be the death of him. He was about to go and take his chances when he heard someone speak.

"My lord, why are we waiting in this place? If we keep waiting here, nothing will be done."

"Perrault, you know that due to Lucian and Aaron destroying every trace of Polidori, the Immortals are going to declare war. If they come when the planet is in disarray, we are all going to die. Even you, my friend."

After a pause, Gideon could swear he heard a meowing sound, before the first voice replied. "My lord, humans are too stupid to see the big picture. The aliens that live here might your point, but they lost everything to the Immortals," again, a meowing sound punctured the air, before the voice continued. "But even they disagree on your…methods, shall we say. So where does that leave us, other than back where we started?"

Looking out, Gideon could see the large silhouette had stopped in front of the window, and seemed to be shaking in mirth. Gideon's blood ran cold. He knew that laughter. It had haunted his nightmares for the last nine years. After the laughter died out, the cold voice spoke again.

"Which is why I wait here, planning out a system that could benefit us all. There is no way to undo what we've done, but if we don't try something, everyone of us; every vampire, human…and every terrenial…" here, the smaller silhouette seemed to flinch "…will be lost to the Immortals' plans. Which is why you must be patient with me, Perrault. In the end, when we are ready, you will see I am right."

Laughing, the voice that must belong to this Perrault replied back, giving Gideon a chance to jump to the other room, due to the volume drowning out his steps. "I suppose your right my lord. But, it is a shame that we have to wait in this old house. We can always hide in comfort."

"Well, it doesn't hurt. Anyway, its unlikely we'll be found here, even by Lucian."

At this, Gideon decided to make his move. He might be killed, but, all that coursed in his veins, no, his very soul, was thought of revenge. Stepping forward, he took out one of the Solar Guns, and levelled it at Dumas, who didn't notice until he was looking directly at Gideon. Gideon smiled darkly, his eyes staring deep into Dumas' own.

"Dumas. The great Earl Dumas. Or were you the Duke while I was being tortured in the Vambery? You have no idea how much I am going to enjoy destroying you. For nine years, I waited for this. Nine years of pain. I'll do my best to relay that in the next few minutes!" Gideon spoke calmly, his eyes never leaving Dumas'. Dumas looked closely at the boy and his various guns, before replying carefully. Now was not the time to get careless.

"I am indeed Dumas, but…I am not the same Dumas. I have learnt that some changes will need to be done, to ensure the lives of everyone. Surely I can find some way to help you, ease your burden?" Dumas hadn't been much for subtlety, but, considering he hadn't even sensed the youth, nor Perrault, judging by her surprised expression.

"Like I care. All you are to me is an end. An end to all my hate. All my anger. All of my grief. When I finish you, I might be able to be free. It's your fault I'm here now; you sent me to Stoker all those years ago. You killed my parents and my sister. So, for each of them…I'm going to end you. Though, I had heard the Dark Swordsman had dispatched you," Gideon paused, before stepping forward slightly. "Do me a favour and die, alright?" And, pulling the trigger, he fired at Dumas, who was knocked back, much to his surprise. It had surpassed his Casket Armour entirely.

"My lord! Are you all right?"

"I am…fine. Tell me boy…if you kill me, do you really think it will change anything? If I did kill your family, killing me won't bring them back. Not in the way you would want. So why not try something else? Fight the people responsible for manipulating the vampires into killing your parents and sister."

Gideon laughed, firing another shot at Dumas, this one knocking him to the floor. Half-sitting on the floor, Dumas looked at the boy, and for a brief instant, he felt afraid. He didn't think it would be noticeable, but the boy laughed again, holstering his gun.

"Well, you really aren't the same Dumas, if you're afraid of me. Well, if you aren't the same Dumas, what use would there be in killing you. I want to kill the man who killed my sister in front of me. I want to kill the man who killed my little sister Rita. Yet, what I just saw means I've got nothing to gain. Oh well. Guess I can content myself with this reversal for the rest of my life. However long that is," Gideon spoke almost jovially. Dumas continued to stare, and Perrault's eyes were alternately fixed on the two.

"Just who are you? Who on Earth are you, boy?"

"Gideon. I once threw a stone at you Dumas, before you scared me so much I couldn't move. Then, then you killed my sister before my eyes. But I doubt you remember that. Nine years ago is a long time after all."

"I recall. So, you survived the Vambery. You survived Stoker's hands. And you came out with the intent of risking your life to kill me?" Dumas paused, looking to Perrault, before standing. "What if I told you that I didn't kill your sister? What if I told you that you were fooled in that moment?" Dumas began to laugh, but it died in his throat when Gideon grabbed his horns and put his gun to his throat.

"If you're lying, I am going to make you turn into so many pieces, being able to regenerate will be a curse compared to death. Where is she? And better yet, why did you spare her? Answer me!" Gideon's voice was steel.

"She hadn't made the mistake to attack me. I took her to safety. She lived happily during those years. In fact, she probably has no recollection of the events," smiling, Dumas paused before continuing. "But, I'm sure you would be most welcome to visit. Of course, I would try not to expect too much. If she doesn't recall, I'd give up. She doesn't like being made uncomfortable. Rather fierce temper."

Gideon smiled back, pulling Dumas so they were barely a millimetre apart. "If your lying, I'm going to make sure this Dark Swordsman knows were to find you. I think they'd be happy to here your lurking out here. Oh, and don't expect me to let you kill me when I leave. Just tell me where I should go, and I'll leave you with your pet to plot your revenge against these 'Immortals' you were talking about," pausing, Gideon glanced at Perrault, who was positively furious at the pet slight. Smiling coyly, he waited for Dumas to reply.

"A large house, in a village south of New Culiacan. Far south. You can't miss it. Now, I suppose that you'll let me live, as payment for my information."

"Of course. That's the least I can do, after all the people you killed for no real reason," Gideon replied sarcastically. Dumas' smile dropped a fraction. "But, I think that would be fair. But, one thing, before I go," and, in a swift movement, Gideon struck Dumas square in the mouth with his fist, and fired a pair of shots into his legs, paralysing him. A pair of fangs fell to the floor, as Dumas fell forward. "Oh, and don't try anything Perrault. I doubt terrenials are impervious to harm either," and, stepping into the hall, Gideon left Dumas to nurse his wounds, and Perrault to look on.

Ten minutes after Gideon left, Dumas stood up, smiling at Perrault, who smiled back. "You see Perrault? Now, if all goes according to plan…well, we might just have enough pieces to resist the Immortals without even making an effort."

Smiling, Perrault looked out of the window. Perhaps there was something look forward to after all.

* * *

  
Reviews welcomed.  
Regarding Dumas-I'm basing it on his speech after you clear the Vambery.


	4. Family Reunion

Wow, its been a while since I've added to this huh? Well, I've finally figured out where it's heading, so maybe I should be able to get it finished soon ^^  
Hope it was worth the wait ^^o

**

* * *

**

**Family reunion**

Gideon walked carefully. Far south he'd been told. Well, he'd been travelling south for at least a week, and still no large house. Plenty of Ghouls though. Gideon was starting to enjoy the game's he played with them; he'd lure them out by knocking on walls, before sneaking round behind them, shooting them where they stood. This way, he'd got quite a large amount of Soll back…a shame the last shop was in Old Culiacan.

However, Gideon was bored beyond tears, with not a single creature coming to attack him, or anything else for that matter. All that Gideon had found was he was tired, extremely prone to sun burn, and very, very hungry, the last thing he ate being an Earthly Nut a few days ago. With nothing to distract him except walking some more, Gideon was slowly coming to the conclusion that Dumas had been playing with him all along.

Four seconds later and he knew for sure he had been played.

Knocked to the ground and on his front, Gideon was all too aware of the foot in the small of his back. A few seconds ago, there were just a few bats hanging on a wall…now he was at the mercy of a vampire.

"Well well well. What do we have here? A hunter, or a lost boy? Whichever it is, they better talk clearly. Well? You going to talk, human boy?"

"If you allow me to remove my face from the dirt, I'll do my best to explain," Gideon mumbled, attempting to keep his mouth as closed as possible to keep the soil out. After a pause, Gideon felt the foot move; seizing his chance, he span round, his hand reaching for…

Air. He'd been disarmed.

And the foot was now at his chest, pressing down a lot harder than it had been before; so hard, he couldn't see anything except a reddish haze in his eyes, not helped by the setting sun.

"I'll take that to mean you're a hunter. Pity. I was rather bored out here, but, if you're here to kill me, I may as well make the most of this; it's been so long since I've had hunter blood and I don't think I'll get another chance. Be a good dear and stay still," the voice mocked, before, once again the foot was removed, only to be replaced with a swift hand to the throat. Not before Gideon managed to breathe enough again to speak though.

"I'm not…a hunter…so save your fangs, girl," he choked.

"Oh, not a hunter then. Darn…guess it's just a vagrant again then," the voice laughed. Gideon used the pause to kick out, knocking the vampire girl away, before fighting to his feet, one of his amber Solar Guns in hand; fortunate that it was lying nearby.

"Ok…a 'not a hunter' with a Solar Gun. Excuse me, but I thought that's what you'd be for having one, Guild member," the voice sounded almost annoyed, made quiet as the vampire girl was bent over, holding herself where Gideon had kicked her. As she straightened up, Gideon made sure to keep his eyes focussed on her movements.

The girl was interesting. Her hair was silver-white, and fairly short, not reaching any further past the nape of her neck; it was shorter than Gideon's anyway. Her eyes seemed grey, while her lips blood-red, standing out starkly against her pale skin. She was wearing something similar to a female Guild member's outfit, although there wasn't the headband or the neck piece and the front part was open part way. Finally she wore a scarf about her shoulders, tied off to the side. Colour wise, she was wearing mostly a pale silver-blue, while the scarf was a deep blue with yellow patterns in it. If she went to any town or city, she'd pass easily as a human girl around Gideon's age. She smiled, still holding her side.

"So…What brings you to my neck of the woods?" the voice seemed to be almost friendly, despite the situation. Gideon tightened his grip, wondering where his other guns had gotten too.

He found out the next moment when the vampire fired one of his Dark Guns at him, forcing him to roll to the side. At least, he thought it was one of his until he noticed this was adorned with a small dragon head at the muzzle.

"No fair! Sit still damn you!" the vampire cried out frustratedly, before sending a volley of shots at Gideon. Gideon dodged them easily, before sending a volley of his own back. The vampire girl's hand smoked when the shots hit her gun, forcing her to drop it. Cradling her smoking hand, the vampire girl stepped backwards, putting her back against the wall.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Gideon demanded.

"I'm not trying to _kill _you…knock you unconscious maybe but not _kill_ you Gideon."

Gideon's eyes widened. "How…how do you know my name?" Gideon narrowed his eyes, before shooting the stone next to the girl's head. The vampire girl's smile faltered slightly.

"Oh, erm…lucky guess?" she suggested tentatively. Gideon wasn't buying it.

"Who the heck are you to know me? Tell the truth or I'll put the next shot closer to home," Gideon threatened, aiming his Solar Gun at the girl's heart as she looked at the smoking barrel.

"I…would you believe I have telepathy?" She asked tentatively. Gideon fired another shot next to her head, closer this time. Wincing slightly, the girl mumbled something which sounded like "I guess not…" Gideon just smirked slightly.

"You need to be a lot older than your acting to be telepathic. Also, if you were telepathic, you'd have known were I was going to shoot. So don't play smart."

The girl just growled in her throat, before sighing and looking down to the ground.

"What if I said I recognised the steel in your eyes…?"

Gideon frowned…the only person who'd ever said that was…

"R-Rita?"

"Yeah…how've you been Gideon?"

Gideon shook his head. This had to be a lie…had to be…

"If you knew who I was, then why did you attack me! You can't be Rita…you…"

"I didn't see your face did I? I mean, come on Gideon, you've changed a lot since we last saw each other! Your hairs black and your eyes are freaking purple now! How the heck would I recognise that! Oh and add Solar Guns to that list! Vampires don't like those things because they bloody hurt!" The vampire girl had tears in her eyes. Gideon didn't want to admit it to himself but he could recognise those eyes…or did he? Wasn't finding Rita what he wanted? Gideon looked away, trying to figure a way out of this…it had to be a trick…this couldn't be Rita…

"You don't believe it to be me do you Gideon?"

"You can't be Rita…you can't…"

Smiling weakly, the girl stepped forward until she was half a metre away from Gideon. Reaching under her scarf, she took out what appeared to be a pendant; a small pebble laced around a string, stained red in places with old blood, offering it to Gideon.

"Remember this? You threw it at Dumas once, nine years ago."

Gideon took the pebble in his hand. It was the same one alright, with a sharp edge digging into his palm as he held it, in the same place it had when he last held it; the small scar on his palm matched the shape of the pebble's edge…

Gideon looked back up at the girl, who just nodded sadly.

"I know…I'm a bit upset about it still myself…but I lived…kinda. Mother and Father wouldn't mind would they?"

Gideon gave the pebble back, folding his arms.

"Rita…what happened to you?"

Rita smiled wanly, before placing her hand under Gideon's arm.

"Come with me and I'll explain. Guess we have some catching up to do huh?"

* * *

Some time later, Gideon was sitting in a fairly comfortable chair in a modestly sized house; modest for a vampire anyway. He'd had his other guns returned to him on the way back, yet had them all holstered. Sitting opposite him, was his now-vampire sister, Rita. Gideon paused, holding his hand to his head as he tried to digest the information he'd received.

"So…back on that night…Dumas really killed you?"

"Yes…I was still sort of…hanging on, but I couldn't say anything. Couldn't really move either."

"Then Dumas gave you a way to live right?"

Rita nodded. "Yes…vampire blood…that would save me from turning Undead. I…I didn't want to die like that…you understand right?" Rita's voice seemed to waver slightly. Gideon just nodded slowly. When faced with those choices, there wasn't really a choice at all. Life of some kind, or death that isn't death…no one would choose the latter.

"So how come your not still a child? Vampires don't exactly age you know."

"I'm not too sure. Maybe it's because I wanted to get older or something. Beats me," Rita mumbled, shrugging heavily. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Right…so for the last nine years, you've just been finding ways to occupy yourself?"

"Yes…I've been learning how to use a Dark Gun amongst painting and such. Maybe I could show you sometime."

"Maybe."

A small silence fell between the two, Gideon thinking hard. Eventually, he brought up the question that was on his mind.

"What is Dumas up to? First he makes you a vampire…then he tells me where to find you. I doubt he did so because he's any different at heart. He must be up to something…has to be…"

Rita stood up, before sitting next to Gideon. "Does it really matter? We have each other again. What else do you need now?"

Gideon sighed deeply, pressing his hand into his eyes. "Because something in me seems to be telling me that I'm not done yet. Like I have something left to do."

"Very well then. When the sun rises, we'll set out together and find out together. We shouldn't be alone now we've found each other again, should we?"

Gideon smiled. "No. May as well face things together from here on in. It's good to see you Rita."

"You too Gideon," Rita whispered.

And as the two siblings were reunited, a small winged cat flew from her spot by the window.

"Dumas was right. These two are going to work splendidly."

Laughing, Perrault made her way back to her master, the first part of the plan now complete.

* * *

Well, this has been nice to write again. Hope I've kept up to standard. Been a lot going on making it hard to write much :/  
Be happy to hear what you all think on this ^^


End file.
